say he's prone to gaffes or misstatements, call them fibs, call them lies. now that he is finishing his campaign in ohio with a lie about ohio that ohio knows is a lie, you can just call this one a mistake. the oddest of political odd couples come together for the greater good. but that campaign reprecushions are not lost in the moment. and while millions feel the effects of sandy, mitt romney continues to campaign in battleground states. we have new poll numbers. brian williams goes home to battered point pleasant beach, new jersey. good morning, everyone. i'm lynn berry, this is "first look" on msnbc.

let's start with the latest on sandy. 74 people in the u.s. are dead as a result of sandy. millions remain without power and recovery isn't coming nearly fast enough. new jersey is just one of the places there are major gasoline shortages. people are walking up with canisters trying to get fuel. further down the coast, take a look at these cars. they're all lined up for blocks if not miles. some people waited more than an hour for their chance to fill up. there is another big oil problem, it's a massive fuel leak at a tank facility. more than 300,000 gallons of diesel crude spilled into the water separating new jersey from staten island. containment boons are keeping the oil where it is. let's go to connecticut where these intense images are three mansions being burned to the ground as wind gusts fueled the flames. firefighters couldn't save the homes because of the intensity of the situation. you can see how bad it is.

back to new jersey, 5% of hoboken remains underwater. the national guard arrived. the mayor is begging for more assistance. >> we need more food. we need more resources. so anyone who is listening to this in the city of hoboken or neighboring towns who can get to us, we ask you to come and deliver your supplies. >> atlantic city, president obama met with new jersey governor chris christie. after the two leaders surveyed the damage along the jersey shore, the president vowed he wouldn't tolerate red tape. >> i instituted a 15-minute rule essentially on my team. you return everybody's phone calls in 15 minutes. whether it's the mayor, governors, county officials, if they need something, we figure out a way to say yes. >> during one of his stops, governor christie found more victims in utter despair. >> i need help. >> we're going to help you.

>> everything is gone. >> i know. >> so many people in that situation. in new york, the desperate race to get america's biggest city back up and running continues. water is being pumped out of the subway system. officials in new york and connecticut say the subway and commuter rail lines will start returning today although on a limited basis. it is an amazing but erie sight. much of the skyline of lower manhattan remains dark as this city enters the fourth day of a massive power outage. the flooding crisis from sandy goes beyond the east coast. these are pictures from cleveland, ohio. the river dealt with too much rain. so many residents on the new jersey shore say they plan to repair and rebuild after the devastation from sandy as help slowly begins to arrive. danielle leigh is in tomz rivs ,

new jersey, where people are trying to do that. >> reporter: good morning, lyn. the popular locations are cut off from the rest of society this morning. on the mainland behind me, constant reminders of the devastation from sandy. the reality of sandy's drupgs is settling in, bringing the people left homeless to tears. >> this is all we have. >> reporter: those displaced are returning to see what's left n queens, burnt rubble is replaced in neighborhoods eaten by fire, manhatt manhattan, the subways are frozen. parts of hoboken is underwater. people were trapped in their home 72 hours. >> reporter: along the jersey shore, sandy ripped homes from their foundation and filled streets with sand. >> right out of a movie. >> reporter: in woodbridge, emergency officials say thousands of gallons of oil

spewed from a refinery tank ruptured in the storm. yesterday, president obama promised federal help through the communities of new jersey. >> we go through tough times. but we bounce back. the reason we bounce back is because we look out for one another. and we don't leave anybody behind. >> reporter: getting back to life as usual is proving complicated throughout the region, creating long lines for food, especially gas. >> we are coming back. deaf fitly. without a doubt. we are coming back. all of us. together. >> reporter: across the northeast, communities refusing to quit until their lives are restored. millions of people are beginning a third day without power. for them, this recovery couldn't happen soon enough, especially those cut off from the jersey shore, unable to see how their homes faired in this storm. in toms river, new jersey, i'm danielle leigh. >> so many of you are asking how you can help during this crisis. one suggestion is if you can

reach out to the red cross, there is a number of different ways. text the word red cross to 90 99 and that will give a $10 donation. you can also go to redcross.org and donate through the website. can you donate blood in your hometown. just check with your local red cross office. so now for a look at your national weather, let's turn to bill karins. he has your weather channel forecast. good morning to you, bill. it is nice to hear that woman say we will come back. it's a resilience that east coasters tend to have, a toughness that comes in handy in situations like this. >> from my experience with dealing with the disasters over the years, day three is the hardest. >> you say the novelty starts to wear off. >> novelty, jobs, kids, house, darkness, especially this time of year, short days. it's so cold outside. this is what it really gets tough. even for anyone that's not in the zone, you know, you kind of get numb watching the pictures on tv, all the houses just

crushed by trees or washed away at the shore. you name it, from all the disaster pictures, it looks like -- one area looks like the next. these people still have to live in these areas and go through all of this. this morning, just another cold morning. more and more people i talk to that are affected by this storm, they rode it out first two nights. now they're saying i got to find somewhere else to go. it's just too cold. i have to find a friend or family member, someone. with temperatures in the 40s this morning, getting to the 50s this afternoon, really hard to get rid of that deep chill without power. there are generators but the problem is they take gas, people are struggling to find gas. even if you have a generator, sometimes you can't fill it. showers out there today. the storm itself, sandy is in canada. the weather will slowly begin to improve. should see more sunshine today in the affected areas. the winds are way down. it's just a little bit of rain left and a little snow along with that. the cyclonic flow around it still bringing down that cool

canadian air to the east coast. so we're done. just a little snow outside of pittsburgh and the higher elevations. the rest of the forecast is very quiet across the country for anyone doing traveling on this november 1. the affected areas of the northeast, lynn, we would like a couple warm days for the power crews. we're sure they would like to work in ideal conditions. >> for people that don't have power, thanks, bill. just 120 hours to go before election day. governor romney continues on the campaign. we're keeping an eye on recovering from sandy. plus, tea party favorite and former presidential candidate michelle bachmann is fighting for her political life.

try running four.ning a restaurant is hard, fortunately we've got ink. it gives us 5x the rewards on our internet, phone charges and cable, plus at office supply stores. rewards we put right back into our business. this is the only thing we've ever wanted to do and ink helps us do it. make your mark with ink from chase.

thank you, mr. speaker, uh, members of congress. in celebration of over 75 years of our government employees insurance company, or geico...as most of you know it. ...i propose savings for everyone! i'm talking hundreds here... and furthermore.. newcaster: breaking news. the gecko is demanding free pudding. and political parties that are actual parties! with cake! and presents! ah, that was good. too bad nobody could hear me. geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance.

campaign clock is ticking down. the polls show the candidates are still neck and neck. nbc's tracie potts has all those details from washington.

tracy, good morning. >> lynn, one of the latest national polls out there give president obama just a 1%age point lead nationally. that is a tie. the president heads back out today to speak with voters. president obama's back on the campaign trail today. new nbc poll show him ahead by six in iowa, three in wisconsin, and two in new hampshire. but this week he focused on new jersey. >> we're not going to tolerate red patape. >> reporter: touring storm damage with republican rival chris christie. >> i can not thank the president enough for his personal concern and compassion for our state. there will be some folks who criticize me for complimenting him. well, you know what? i speak the truth. >> reporter: the president is picking up political points. >> the message that christie is sending voters is that obama is doing a good job. he's not a scary, socialist person. he is somebody who can be trusted. >> reporter: in florida, governor romney criticized the

administration's record helping small business. >> sometimes regulators seem to look at businesses like they're the enemy. >> reporter: he never mentioned the president by name. governor jeb bush did. claiming mr. obama is making excuses for his failures. >> it's almost as though the dog ate my home work is the reason why we're going through tough times. >> reporter: early voting reopened in maryland with long lines. >> three hours? >> yeah. it's worth it. >> reporter: in areas where flooding destroyed some polling places, they're considering putting up tents to make sure that residents can vote. more polls have the president up five points in ohio. they say things are so close and such a small lead in virginia and florida, they're calling it a tie. lynn? >> thank you. we mentioned the obama-christie meeting is an extraordinarily coming together of two people that are polar opposites politically. men who have very recently delivered some extremely biting comments about the other. but now putting citizens above

politics. it's very interesting. a few hours before their meeting, former florida governor and romney supporter jeb bush had this to say on the stump. >> do you honestly think this president is capable of bringing people together? his entire strategy is to blame others, starting with my brother, of course. basically, he blames every possible thing rather than having humility to be able to reach out and define common ground. so now to a house race that should have been a lay-up for michelle bachmann. the former presidential candidate and three term congresswoman has a real fight on her hands. millionaire hotel executive jim graves is spending big time to take down the tea party favorite and the polls are tightening. here's an interesting tid bit you can share your friends. the total spending of the 2012 election will beat the previous record by $700 million.

you ready for this? 2012 election spending will reach a whopping $6 billion. campaign staffers confirm jesse jackson jr. who is being treated for bipolar disorder and is up for re-election next week cast his vote by absentee ballot. jackson's office has no plans to hold election night events. and finally, republican vp nominee paul ryan was able to take a quick break from the campaign trail to take his kids trick or treating for halloween in his hometown of jamesville, wisconsin. rachel madow talked about the campaign and about holding a rally without seeming incense sie -- insensitive to sandy victims. they brought candy while asking

for them to bring canned goods. >> to be clear, the romney campaign, they held the campaign rally. they called it a storm relief event. they bought donations for the red cross and then they handed the donations to their own supporters in order to photograph them handing them back to mitt romney. so it looks like he inspired generous donations from those people that he did not actually inspire. and if they bother to check with the red cross, the red cross doesn't actually want and they don't want this behavior for what the red cross wants. the red cross, for the record, does not want your cans. they want your money and your blood donation. if you do actually want to help. >> don't miss her show week nights at 9:00 eastern only on msnbc, the place for politics. just ahead on "first look," this maryland man knows exactly whether to hold them and when to fold them. in fact, he has over $8 million reasons to prove it. [ male anno] free data transfer at home. you just deleted all the photos! you did! no you did!

[ male announcer ] or free data transfer when you buy a windows 8 computer at staples. another way staples makes it easier to upgrade.

can you help me with something? nope! good talk. [ male announcer ] or free windows 8 training when you buy a computer at staples. another way staples makes it easier to upgrade. four people were shot late last night on the campus of the university of southern california. one of them is in critical condition. the shooting reportedly happened at a halloween party and authorities have two people in custody. "washington post" reports that the obama administration has been in talks to build a new syrian opposition leadership to stop the violence from spreading across the middle east. the plan is also intended to prevent radical islamic fighters from taking control of the opposition group. in south carolina, income

tax returns were targeted in the largest cyber attack against the state tax department in american history. more than three million social security numbers were compromised along with more than a million businesses and personal credit and debit cards. the new world series of poker champion is a 24-year-old recovering drug addict and college dropout. greg mercen is from maryland. he won almost 399 hands of texas hold em collecting more than $8.5 million and that piece of bling, a gold championship bracelet worth about $150,000. must be nice. now here's a look at how wall street begins this thursday. the dow closed at 13,096. the s&p 500 was up a fraction. the nasdaq lost ten. taking a look at overseas trading this morning, nikkei gained 18 points, hong kong, the hang seng climbed 180.

markets ended october lower but there is good news. they're all way up for 2012. the dow slid 2.5% last month. it is more than 7% this year up. the broader s&p 500 down 2% in october. added, 12.5% in the last ten months. and the nasdaq, the biggest loser, nearly 5%. but was also the biggest winner soaring 14.5% in 2012. in sandy's wake, home depot and lowe's is among wednesday's big movers along with generator maker generac. shipments for areas evacuated by sandy will be in one of their facilities. you can check your package status at fedex.com. netflix jumped up on the news of carl icahn's stake in the company. it was up more than 45%. ford rallied on strong earnings reported while markets were closed. likewise, gm soared after blowing past earnings estimates.

on the down side, apple shares slid and weighed down the nasdaq. sorry amex, the gold card has nothing on this guy. a new pure gold diamond and mother-of-pearl card from a bank in kazakhstan. the price, $100,000. just ahead, how students in louisiana are trying to give a little back and also our own brian williams gets a first-hand look at the devastation in his old stomping ground, the new jersey shore. you're watching "first look" on msnbc. maybe new buildings? what about updated equipment? they can help, but recent research shows... ... nothing transforms schools like investing in advanced teacher education. let's build a strong foundation. let's invest in our teachers so they can inspire our students.

let's solve this. you know it can be hard to lbreathe, and how that feels.e, copd includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. spiriva helps control my copd symptoms by keeping my airways open for 24 hours. plus, it reduces copd flare-ups. spiriva is the only once-daily inhaled copd maintenance treatment that does both. spiriva handihaler tiotropium bromide inhalation powder does not replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms. tell your doctor if you have kidney problems, glaucoma, trouble urinating, or an enlarged prostate. these may worsen with spiriva. discuss all medicines you take, even eye drops. stop taking spiriva and seek immediate medical help if your breathing suddenly worsens, your throat or tongue swells, you get hives, vision changes or eye pain, or problems passing urine. other side effects include dry mouth and constipation. nothing can reverse copd. spiriva helps me breathe better. (blowing sound)

ask your doctor about spiriva. boring. boring. [ jack ] after lauren broke up with me, i went to the citi private pass page and decided to be...not boring. that's how i met marilyn... giada... really good. yes! [ jack ] ...and alicia. ♪ this girl is on fire [ male announcer ] use any citi® card to get the benefits of private pass. more concerts. more events. more experiences. [ jack ] hey, who's boring now? [ male announcer ] get more access with a citi card. [ crowd cheering, mouse clicks ]

welcome back to "first look." sandy is finally leaving, heading into canada. we'll clear things out for the repair restoration. the rest of the country looks good. the west coast does have damp weather to deal with. we go into friday's forecast, still very chilly. there is not a lot of active weather out there across the country. that's good. a lot of people are asking about the election day forecast. looks like a storm will stay off shore. that's great news for the mid-atlantic. wisconsin and minnesota and iowa, a little wintry weather. nothing too bad by their standards. >> bill, thanks. >> memories of hurricane katrina are inspiring one high school to come to the aid of hurricane sandy's victims. students and faculty on a mission to send a semitrailer stocked with canned foods, blankets and other item to the atlantic coast. great for them. meanwhile, hurricane sandy has left behind a trail of sadness for the lives and property lost in its wake. nbc's brian williams spent part of his childhood growing up near

the beaches of the jersey shore. so yesterday he went back to assess the damage. >> reporter: in point pleasant beach, the white sands motel has been in business for 30 years. the pool is full of sand. this is what is left of one of the motel rooms. another shore landmark is jenks where cindy clous rolled out the storm in the local aquarium she runs. >> we heard this huge woosh. and within seconds the water level went from the first step up to the door knob. >> reporter: the power is still out. they're keeping the animals safe and alive with one generator. of course, it's supposed to be a little scary in here. you have the halloween decorations up. >> that's right. >> reporter: this is really scary. these are the most famous penguins on the jersey shore. you doing all right? the damage is dramatic, far from the beach. inland there is street flooding, trees have been ripped from the ground. jack and sharon who lived here

for a long time spent the day washing and drying their clothes outside. >> i wanted to go. she said she wanted to stay. and i said well if my wife stays, i have to stay because she's my wife. >> reporter: but there are bright spots to be seen like the one we witnessed when we passed by bill mullens who was having his own flag raising ceremony in his front yard. blocks away, he feels lucky to be able to live here. >> i always try to express that. it's hard to express what is it about the jersey shore? >> i don't think you can quantify it unless you live here or live on a coastal state. we're blessed to be this close to the ocean. it's a double edge sword, of course, but for all the good, absolutely worth the bad. >> double-edged sword, indeed. people love going there. they're going to rebuild. people are going to go there again. it's just such -- >> you know when the beach season opens, memorial day, fourth of july, it's a big event and people flock there to help the jersey shore. >> absolutely, folks will. i'm lynn berry and this is

"first look." stay tuned. "way too early with willie geist" starts right now. >> how are you? are you okay? >> we're going to help you. we're going to get it all together. all right? i promise you. i promise you. you're going to be okay. you're safe, right? that's the most important. we're going to get this whole thing taken care of. i have my guy craig fugate. this is the owner of the marina right here. i want to make sure she knows that we're going to immediately make sure she gets the help she needs to get this all back together. all right? >> thank yo